FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Berkeley, CA – February 19, 2026 – XPerience Studios, the nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing equity in the video game industry, aired its flagship Black Voices in Gaming (BVIG) Showcase today on the official BVIG Twitch channel and co-streamed on IGN and GameSpot. The two-hour event celebrated games by Black developers and titles rooted in Black experiences.
Sponsored by Xbox, Raw Fury, and Owlchemy Labs, the showcase featured new game announcements, fresh trailers, and in-depth interviews with creators from around the world.
“This year, we’ve seen an incredible wave of independent Black developers stepping fully into entrepreneurship, even amid ongoing industry uncertainty,” said Justin Woodward, co-founder of XPerience Studios. “Many of these creators spent years honing their craft in AAA or developing passion projects on the side, and are now boldly building studios and bringing their visions to life. The showcase exists to amplify that momentum and ensure they have the visibility and support to succeed.”
New reveals included:
Exclusive game announcements
-
Santa Corps 4 (Virtuoso Neomedia) – Available Now
-
Santa Corps: Snow Patrol (Virtuoso Neomedia) – Available Now
-
Virtuoso Skins Game (Virtuoso Neomedia) – Wishlist Now on Steam
New game trailers
-
Sucker for Love: Crush Landing (Akabaka)
-
DROPSHOT (Aerial Knight Games)
-
Deadly Metropolis (ABRYT)
-
Duppy Detective Tashia (Spritewrench Studios)
The showcase also highlighted recently released titles such as Space Warlord Baby Trading Simulator (Strange Scaffold), alongside upcoming games like A Baby CEO?! (Bloo Owl), Oh!Ware (Chris Perry), Avatar Legends: The Fighting Game (Gameplay Group International), among others.
In addition to game reveals, BVIG featured interview segments spotlighting Black developers and their creative journeys. Participants included Jerron Jacques, who is working on the upcoming cyberpunk psychological thriller Erased; Mohale Mashigo and Bongane Mahlangu, developers of the heist game Relooted, which is about reclaiming African artifacts; and Shawn Alexander Allen, whose forthcoming Beatdown City Survivors is a roguelite beat-em-up set in a “rotting, destructible city that hates you.”
To coincide with the showcase, BVIG launched a Steam event of the same name, where players can purchase, demo, or wishlist many of the featured titles.
For more information about Black Voices in Gaming, visit https://www.blackvoicesingaming.com/.
About Black Voices in Gaming
Launched to address the lack of visibility for Black creators in the video game industry, the Black Voices in Gaming Showcase is a curated digital event highlighting games at various stages of development, from early concepts to near-launch titles. The showcase connects developers with players, press, publishers, and investors worldwide, while celebrating creativity, culture, and innovation in games.
More than a standalone event, the showcase serves as a cornerstone of XPerience Studios’ year-round efforts, working in tandem with funding initiatives, accelerators, and educational programs to create a continuous pipeline from discovery to sustainability.
Follow Black Voices in Gaming on Bluesky, Instagram, and X.
About XPerience Studios
XPerience Studios is a nonprofit organization focused on advancing equity in the video game industry by supporting underrepresented developers through funding, education, mentorship, and access to industry networks. By addressing systemic barriers to opportunity, XPerience Studios works to ensure creators not only enter the industry, but thrive within it.